OSHA Inspection: FELDERHOFF BROTHERS DRILLING

Issued

Aug 14, 2003

Abate by

Aug 20, 2003

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,700 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:
The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment free
from recognized
hazards that were causing, or likely to cause, death or serious physical
harm to employees.  On
July 2, 2003, an employee was fatally injured while retrieving equipment
from a doghouse that
was not secured during the set up of Rig No. 6.  The worker was pinned
between the doghouse
and a hinged floor plate when the unit collapsed (retracted) back into its
stowed position within
the water tank.  Also, the eye splice created in the wire rope at the
point where it was connected
to the track bulldozer did not contain a thimble.  The length of wire rope
utilized for the turn
back in creating the eye splice was insufficient and the number of wire
rope clips utilized was
inadequate for the size of wire rope utilized.  Rust and signs of bird
caging were also noted on
the wire rope.
Among other means, some feasible and acceptable abatement methods to
correct these hazards
are:
1.Develop written procedures on the safe rig up of the doghouse and to
include the
roles and responsibilities of those individuals involved with its set-up.
2.Develop a method(s) that would effectively allow employees to remain in
constant
contact with one another during the rig up of the doghouse and/or other
various
operations, more importantly in areas and/or instances where visual and
oral
communication is difficult and/or obsolete to prevent confusion,
especially when
one's function has a great and/or greater impact on the other.
3.Appoint a safety monitor during the process of setting up the doghouse
to ensure
workers do not access the work area prior to the doghouse being adequately
secured.
4.Change the configuration of the doghouse/water tank setup to eliminate
the
potential of the doghouse retracting back into its container.
5.Use proper rigging techniques for use of wire rope clips as outlined in
1926.251
Table H-20.  Inspect wire rope & wire rope terminations on a daily basis.
Replace as needed.
6.Install thimbles at point of eye splices to reduce the wear and tear of
the wire
rope.